The breeder I am currently talking to about getting my first set of Nigerian doelings plans on keeping them until they are about 7 months old. They will be born in March and I can buy them in September. He is doing this because it works best for his milking schedule to only have to milk a once a day through the Summer.
Fortunately the goats are only about an hour from us and near my in-laws house, so we plan on being able to visit them several times over the Spring and Summer.
Are there any disadvantages to buying goats like this that are a bit older? How will bonding with us go if they are this old?
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Thank you as usual for the great answers. I was disappointed when he told me he wanted to keep them so long, since it meant we would have to wait longer to be "goat people", but I also figure it does mean someone else pays to feed them for that time while they grow. Also as you pointed out being on their mother's milk longer is not a bad thing. I like this breeder for his management style, it very much matches how I would like to manage my own goats eventually, so I am willing to wait
Deborah, as a side note wanted to let you know I finished reading your Raising Goats Naturally book and really enjoyed it. There is so much information packed into it and it is written in a very readable way. Thank you for putting it together and I can't wait to actually put the information into use next Sept. when I finally get goats.
Assuming the breeder spends time with the kids, it's not a big deal. If they get bonded to people when they're young, they usually transition to bonding with new owners quickly. It's just a matter of them knowing that people won't eat them (because they're prey animals). Here is more on that:
You shouldn't have too much problem bonding with them once you start caring for them. They will learn to trust you. I don't totally understand why the current owner wants to wait so long, but that's his call I suppose. At least you know they will have gotten plenty of their mother's milk, which is so good for them.
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Thank you, Aaron! I'm so glad to hear that you've found the book helpful! That's my goal!
Thank you as usual for the great answers. I was disappointed when he told me he wanted to keep them so long, since it meant we would have to wait longer to be "goat people", but I also figure it does mean someone else pays to feed them for that time while they grow. Also as you pointed out being on their mother's milk longer is not a bad thing. I like this breeder for his management style, it very much matches how I would like to manage my own goats eventually, so I am willing to wait
Deborah, as a side note wanted to let you know I finished reading your Raising Goats Naturally book and really enjoyed it. There is so much information packed into it and it is written in a very readable way. Thank you for putting it together and I can't wait to actually put the information into use next Sept. when I finally get goats.
Assuming the breeder spends time with the kids, it's not a big deal. If they get bonded to people when they're young, they usually transition to bonding with new owners quickly. It's just a matter of them knowing that people won't eat them (because they're prey animals). Here is more on that:
http://thriftyhomesteader.com/farm-animal-psychology/
You shouldn't have too much problem bonding with them once you start caring for them. They will learn to trust you. I don't totally understand why the current owner wants to wait so long, but that's his call I suppose. At least you know they will have gotten plenty of their mother's milk, which is so good for them.